


Secrets; Linger

by in_the_bottle



Category: Smallville, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Crossover, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-02-04
Updated: 2005-02-04
Packaged: 2017-11-02 10:48:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/368160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/in_the_bottle/pseuds/in_the_bottle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"To despise each other as much as they did required passion."</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Secrets; Linger

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I'm insane to cross Voyager and Smallville. Like my lack of sanity is news.... Oh, I stole the name 'Joseph Edouard' from Lanning Cook's [Identical Series](http://lanning.slashdom.com/). Many thanks to Polly for beta!

She couldn't believe how blind she had been. She was the _captain_ of a _starship_ ; she was supposed to be a keen observer, it was her job to be observant, especially when it came to members of her crew.How was it possible, then, that she'd missed this?

  
They hadn't been part of the original crew. Much like Neelix and Kes, _Voyager_ had picked them up along the way. Two years into their voyage, they came across a battered yet still functioning stasis tube, floating in space. Scans had revealed, much to the entire crew's surprise, a human life sign. They had beamed the stasis tube on board and the doctor managed to revive its occupant. 

  
_The man lying on the biobed was completely bald, seemingly in his mid-thirties. Kathryn nodded to the doctor, indicating that he should wake their visitor up. Within seconds of the stimulant being injected, the man's eyes fluttered open, blinking and squinting as he tried to adjust to the lights in sickbay._

_  
"I'm Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Starship  _ Voyager _. Can you tell us – "_

_  
"Starship? You're human?" the man interrupted, bleary eyes peering up at her. _

_ _

_ "Yes, I'm human." _

__

_ "And you're the captain of a starship?" _

__

_ "Yes," she replied patiently, noting the frown her answer had elicited.  _

_  
"What... what year is it?" There was a slight tremor in his voice.  _

_  
"The Stardate is 48512.7." _

_ "Stardate? I'm not familiar with that calendar.What would the year be on Earth?" _

_ Kathryn did some quick thinking. "2372." _

__

_ "2372," he parroted, shocked. "Are we anywhere near Earth?" he asked a moment later, completely calm. _

__

_ Kathryn couldn't help but admire the speed at which he had composed himself.  _

__

_ "Unfortunately, we are nowhere near Earth. Can you tell me what happened to you?" _

_ The man let out a humourless laugh. "As clichéd as it may sound, I was abducted by aliens. The last time I checked my calendar, it was February 27, 2059." _

__

_ "2059?" It was her turn to be shocked. This man was from a pre-warp Earth. It was going to be hard for him to adjust to 24th century life onboard a starship, especially one in their current predicament.  _

__

_ "313 years," he sat up on the biobed, slowly shaking his head. "They stole 313 years of my life." _

__

_ "I'm sorry, Mister.... " _

_  
"Edouard. Joseph Edouard." _

__

_ "Mr. Edouard, do you have any idea who the aliens were and why they abducted you?" _

__

_ "They called themselves the Gromg. No one knows from where they originated. They look exactly like those 20th century science fiction depiction of aliens; short, large head, big black eyes, gray. Have you ever encountered them?" _

_  
Kathryn shook her head. "No, I'm not familiar with the Gromg. Why did they kidnap you?" _

__

_ Joseph shrugged. "You would have to ask them. Sports? Entertainment? Science experiment?" he couldn't hide the shiver that accompanied his last suggestion. "Your guess is as good as mine. I don't remember my time with them. For all I know, they could've stuffed me in the stasis chamber for the last 300 years and there's nothing to remember." _

  
For someone from the 21st century, Joseph thrived on the challenges the 24th century provided. He had even managed to disprove Koolansiv's theory on particle acceleration, something Federation scientists had sought to achieve for years without success.

_ Voyager  _ ran into Kal-El four years into their journey home. About a year ago, Kathryn mused, remembering. An alien so human in appearance that one couldn't tell the difference without a tricorder. Kal was traveling with a companion when the engine of their ship malfunctioned. They'd been forced to crash land on a nearby planet. Kal was the only survivor. 

Kathryn thought of Joseph and Kal's initial meeting as 'hate at first sight'. In hindsight, that probably should've rung some alarm bells in her mind. To despise each other as much as they did required passion. It was impossible for two complete strangers with nothing in common to feel so strongly about each other.

It didn't matter what Kathryn tried, the animosity between Joseph and Kal persisted. But since they seemed to be able to work remarkably well with each other in times of crisis, she decided to stop forcing the issue and let them be. She never thought there would be a day when they would get along. 

She should've learned long ago, never say never. 

Three days ago, _Voyager_ had been under attack by yet another hostile species. No one was exactly sure what transpired between Joseph and Kal, but information gathered suggested that Joseph had saved Kal's life with no regard for his own. The injuries Joseph suffered as a result were serious.Even the doctor expressed doubts over his survival, but survive he did.Although he was in a stable condition, Joseph had yet to regain consciousness. Kal had been by his side since Joseph was first brought in. 

  
"I know I've said this before, Lex, but you're the most idiotic person I know." The usual anger and resentment that accompanied his words to Joseph were gone. "Why did you have to go do that? Does the word 'indestructible' mean anything to you? Or did you do it because you know this would happen? It's so like you, dying just to prove a point. Dad was right, you're the queen of drama queens."

Kathryn knew she should leave, give Kal the privacy he thought he had, but her legs were refusing to obey her commands. 

_ Lex? _ Her mind queried. 

"I spent the last 300 years looking for you. I'm not going to lose you now. Wake up. I know you're faking it, Drama Queen." It was as close to tears as Kathryn had ever seen the usually stoic man to be. 

"Not a drama queen," a hoarse voice replied. 

"Lex!" She had never seen Kal quite that happy, either. 

"Haven't seen that smile in a while," was Joseph's quiet response. "Think I should save your life more often if this is the reward I get."

There was a moment of awkward silence before Kal turned to leave. "I'll go get the doctor."

"Clark." A simple name stopped Kal in his tracks and he turned back, looking at Joseph – Lex. It was as though years of conversation were communicated through the one look they shared. Where words had betrayed them, their eyes told the truth. 

"You know you don't actually have to leave to get the doctor, right?"

"I... um...." An uncharacteristically shy Kal was an adorable sight to behold. 

Joseph held out his hand, looking at Kal, hopeful and afraid at the same time; something Kathryn would never have associated with the usually confident man. Kal smiled at Joseph and took his hand, settling himself at Joseph's side. 

Kathryn's legs finally got the message to move. The words 'I love you' floated to her ears before the doors to sickbay silently slid shut behind her. She didn't know who said it, but it didn't matter. 

She was wrong. It wasn't hate at first sight; it was love. Love that had happened a long time ago, and events had conspired and turned against them. Only people who loved each other as much as they did could hate each other with such passion. She should have realised that sooner. Now that she knew about them, she promised herself that one day, she would get them to tell her the story of Lex and Clark. 

After all, it was no secret that Captain Kathryn Janeway was a romantic at heart. 

The End. 


End file.
